The present invention relates generally to devices for generating visible light from a laser. More specifically, but without limitation thereto, the present invention relates to a device for generating red, green, and blue (RGB) light.
The present invention has applications in the field of color displays, including computer monitors, video games, television, and other applications that may require a variety of light wavelengths.
In one aspect of the invention, a light generator can generate light having selected proportions of red, green, and blue wavelengths from a single source of blue light.
In another aspect of the invention, beamsplitters are used to split the beam of blue light into separate beams to generate light having a single color in each beam. Upconversion lasers may be used to generate each of the single colors. The colors may be red, green, and blue, respectively. The light generator may include a first beamsplitter optically coupled to the blue laser for splitting a second beam of blue light from the first beam of blue light, a second beamsplitter optically coupled to the first beamsplitter for splitting a third beam of blue light from the first beam of blue light, a first upconversion laser optically coupled to the second beamsplitter for generating a beam of green light from the first beam of blue light, and a second upconversion laser optically coupled to the second beamsplitter for generating a beam of red light from the third beam of blue light.
In a further aspect of the invention, beamsplitters are used to split a beam of blue light into separate beams to generate light having one or more colors in each separate beam. In a specific embodiment, one beam may have the colors of red and green. The light generator may include a blue laser for generating a first beam of blue light, a first beamsplitter optically coupled to the blue laser for splitting a second beam of blue light from the first beam of blue light, and an upconversion laser optically coupled to the first beamsplitter for generating a beam of red light and a beam of green light from the first beam of blue light.
In another aspect of the invention, the light generator generates a single collinear beam containing multiple colors from a single beam of blue light. The colors may be red, green, and blue. The light generator may include a blue laser for generating a beam of blue light and an upconversion laser optically coupled to the blue laser for generating a beam of red light and a beam of green light from the beam of blue light.